Ascension

Ron stood unmoving, his cold smile unwavering as if daring them to act. Alice stepped forward, her katana steady in her hand, her eyes fixed on the Vanguard leader. “You’ll pay for everything you’ve done,” she declared, her tone grave yet unwavering.

Ron chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Do you really think you can change anything? Always so naive... always so predictable.”

As Ron finished his taunt, Leo took in the main chamber. The vastness of the room was intimidating. At its center, the Vanguard’s symbol was etched into the floor, a mark of power that seemed to pulse with arrogance.

Leo’s gaze flicked briefly to Alice and Rubi by his side. Both were in position, ready for battle. Alice gripped her katana tightly, its blade glowing with a brilliant blue light, while Rubi adjusted her symbiont, now shaped into a compact pistol. Leo felt the faint vibration of his own symbiont, a silent reminder of its presence.

Will this be enough? The question coiled in Leo’s mind like a serpent, tightening with every breath. Diego’s final stand burned in his mind—a searing reminder of the cost of failure and the weight of every step he now took.

Before he could process his thoughts further, an abrupt movement caught his attention. Ron’s soldiers began to spread out, fanning across the room like predators circling their prey. There were about a dozen of them, each equipped with customized weapons that reflected their combat styles.

Some wielded energized blades similar to Leo’s but larger and more brutal, their jagged edges designed to crush as much as they cut. Others carried long-range weapons with integrated automatic firing systems, their mechanisms pulsing with ominous energy. Two of the soldiers, larger and more muscular, relied on brute strength, advancing with heavy steps that made their metal-clad uniforms groan under the strain.

Leo adjusted his stance, raising his energized blade. The first shot rang out—a beam of energy that zipped past his shoulder. Instinctively, he raised his blade to block the next strike from a soldier charging toward him.

The battle had begun.

Leo swung his blade with precision, deflecting one attack and countering with a lateral slash that struck the soldier’s arm. The opponent staggered back but was quickly replaced by another wielding a heavy staff. Leo ducked under the swing, delivering a side kick that sent the attacker stumbling.

Beside him, Alice moved like a storm. She flowed through the room, every motion a blend of power and grace. A soldier lunged at her with an energized blade, but she sidestepped smoothly, her katana arcing in a perfect swing that struck her foe. Before he could react, Alice slipped behind him and took him down with a swift, precise strike.

Rubi stood near the terminals, her sharp gaze scanning for openings, her symbiont shifting with precision to meet the oncoming threat. With her symbiont transformed into a high-precision pistol, she fired at the soldiers’ vital points. One charged toward her, but a quick burst of shots brought him crashing to the ground.

“Left side!” Alice shouted, gesturing to Rubi as two soldiers attempted to flank them. Rubi adjusted her aim and fired, hitting one soldier’s visor and sending him reeling.

Leo found himself surrounded by three soldiers. He parried consecutive strikes, each clashes resonating through his blade. One soldier, wielding a pair of short blades, attacked with blistering speed, forcing Leo to backpedal. Using the momentum, he spun and delivered a kick to the third soldier, sending him sprawling.

Another soldier, armed with an arm-mounted machine gun, unleashed a hail of bullets toward Alice. She darted to the side, using a pillar to propel herself forward. Her katana flared as she struck the weapon, disabling it with precision.

“They just keep coming!” Rubi yelled.

Alice slid closer to Leo, blocking an incoming strike aimed at him. “Stay focused! We can’t falter now!”

Leo nodded, readjusting his stance. Sweat dripped down his brow, but he refused to back down. One of the larger soldiers advanced on him, wielding an energized staff that looked too heavy for any ordinary man. Each step sent tremors through the floor, as though the room itself responded to his force.

Leo held his ground, waiting for the right moment. When the soldier’s devastating swing came, Leo dodged swiftly, his blade slicing into the soldier’s side. The impact drew a pained grunt, but the attacker remained standing, pressing forward with even greater ferocity. Leo retreated a few steps, his arms straining against the weight of the next block, but he held firm.

Nearby, Rubi faced two soldiers armed with wide blades. With a quick motion, she transformed her pistol symbiont into a compact short blade. She parried their strikes, her movements swift and calculated, though the relentless pressure left no room for error.

Alice noticed the danger and surged forward. Her katana flared as she delivered a precise slash to one soldier’s arm, forcing him to fall back momentarily. The second soldier pressed on, undeterred. Alice darted between them, her movements almost supernatural in their fluidity. She dispatched the first soldier with a clean strike before turning her focus to the remaining foe.

The clash of metal and the crack of energy bolts reverberated through the chamber, a chaotic symphony of battle. Each strike, each shot, each ragged breath intensified the storm raging within the walls. The room, so vast at first, now felt smaller, compressed by the intensity of the fight.

Leo took down another soldier with a precise strike and lifted his eyes to Ron. He remained motionless at the center of the room, watching the battle with an unnerving calm. His cold smile hadn’t wavered, as if he were waiting—for something, or someone, to break.

Then, he moved.

“Is this your best?” Ron’s voice cut through the storm of battle like steel scraping stone. “You fight like insects scurrying in the dark. Pathetic.”

Alice, breathless, wiped blood from her katana with a quick motion. Her eyes locked onto Ron, and she stepped forward. “You have no idea what we’re capable of,” she replied, her voice steady but charged with controlled anger.

For a moment, it seemed like the trio had the upper hand. But then, Ron joined the fight.

Ron moved with the inevitability of a landslide—fast, precise, and utterly destructive. His fists, reinforced like forged steel, shattered any defense that dared meet them. He blocked a strike from Alice with his forearm and, with a devastating motion, lunged at Rubi, hitting her square in the torso. Energy coursed through her body from the impact, hurling her across the room. Rubi crumpled to the ground with a sharp cry, her symbiont dissolving into a shimmer of light.

“Rubi!” Alice shouted, dodging an attack as she ran to her.

Leo tried to advance to protect them, but Ron cut him off. In a quick, brutal motion, Ron deflected Leo’s energized blade and delivered a powerful kick that sent him sprawling. The impact caused Leo’s blade to falter in his grip.

“You’re out of your depth, boy,” Ron sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’re nothing compared to me.”

Alice, kneeling beside Rubi, quickly checked her condition. “She’s alive,” she announced, her relief tempered by the fury in her eyes as she turned back to Ron.

She stood, gripping her katana with renewed determination. “You’re not walking out of here unscathed,” she declared, charging at him.

Alice fought like a tempest unleashed, her strikes a seamless blend of precision and ferocity. For a fleeting moment, Ron retreated, the clash of her blade against his defenses reverberating like thunder. Each swing was a testament to her unwavering resolve, honed by years of mastery.

For a moment, it seemed Alice could keep the pace. But Ron didn’t take long to retaliate. He blocked a lateral strike with his forearm and, in a precise counter, punched directly at her katana. The blade flared brightly before vanishing in a flash of light, deactivated by the impact.

Alice hesitated for a second, surprised, but Ron wasted no time. He spun and struck her shoulder with a powerful blow. The impact brought her to her knees, yet even weakened, Alice glared at him with unwavering defiance.

She tried to rise, but Ron stepped on her hand, pinning her to the ground. “You fight well,” he said, his tone tinged with mocking respect. “But skill alone won’t save you.”

Leo, now on his feet, watched the scene with a knot in his stomach. Rubi was down, unable to fight. Alice, despite her strength, had been defeated. He knew he couldn’t rely on anyone else—it was his fight now.

Ron’s gaze turned to him, a cold smile curling his lips. “Do you really think you can change anything, boy? Look at them. Look at yourself.”

Leo tightened his grip on the energized blade, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough. His eyes fell to the symbiont resting on his arm, its gentle pulse seeming to await his decision.

Diego’s words echoed in his mind. You have to keep going... Fight for what you believe in and... live without fear.

Leo took a deep breath, his hands trembling slightly. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, a fierce determination burned within.

He activated the symbiont.

Blue veins of light erupted across his skin, illuminating the chamber in a cascade of shifting brilliance. The energy surged outward, carving molten patterns along his frame, each pulse a declaration of untamed power and newfound purpose. His entire form seemed infused with energy, each movement now lighter, stronger.

Alice, still on the ground, watched with wide eyes. “What... is this?” she murmured, her voice filled with awe.

Rubi, though weakened, managed to lift her gaze. “Leo...”

Ron’s cold eyes narrowed, his icy smile faltering as he watched Leo’s transformation. “Fascinating,” Ron murmured, his tone a blend of curiosity and disdain as if savoring the emergence of a worthy opponent.

Leo lifted his head, the symbiont glowing with a brilliant aura around him. The energized blade slipped from his hand, replaced by something greater. A new weapon formed—a blade that blended raw power with elegant design.

He looked at Rubi and Alice, both fallen, exhausted, and vulnerable. The weight of responsibility nearly crushed him. Diego’s words echoed once more: You have to keep going... Fight for what you believe in and... live without fear.

The weight in his chest hardened into something indestructible. With the symbiont glowing like a heartbeat in his palm, he whispered, “For all of us.” The blade in his hand gleamed like forged lightning, its brilliance a reflection of the unyielding fire within him. With the symbiont’s pulse guiding him, Leo surged forward, a force unstoppable, ready to end it all.